


Adeline's Stories

by Sigilmancy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-22 13:17:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20874845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sigilmancy/pseuds/Sigilmancy
Summary: Stories about a warlock tigertaur





	1. Ketchup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the 13th prompt in the 100 Flavors Challenge, Ketchup

"Do I even dare to ask what this is?" Adeline stared down at the bowl in one hand, using a spoon to push the contents around with her other one.

"Meat and potatoes." Someone next to her said, drawing the raven haired woman's attention.

"I thought we couldn't get fresh meat out here." Adeline commented idly, still a bit dubious that the mush in her bowl was somehow any kind of meat.

"We can't." The same person replied in between a mouthful. "But if you boil the preserved meats they get soft, and potatoes keep pretty much forever." They shrugged, and Adeline made a disgusted face.

"Great." She sighed, shaking her head. Mercenary life wasn't supposed to be easy, but she at least wanted to be able to identify her food.

"Hey, if you won't eat it I will." Someone else chimed in, though they backed off when Adeline gave a deep growl in response.

"Even so much as think about touching my food and you're going to be one limb short, understand?" She stood to her full height, a head or more taller than even the tall men in the party. This threat was aided by the tigers body that her torso sprouted from, marking her as a tigertaur and making her as dangerous as her size would suggest.

When no one spoke Adeline laid her tiger half back down, shrinking to an average height as she did so before she quietly set about at least trying to finish the food. The consistency was awful as the potatoes appeared to have been shredded before they were cooked so they weren't solid yet weren't entirely mashed either and the meat when she could tell it apart consistency wise did taste like it had been salted to preserve it and then just dumped into the boiling pot as well.

Half way through Adeline sighed again and set her bowl down, pushing it away with a paw. "Whoever wants it can have it, I'd rather go hunting." She stood once more, leaving the circle around the fire and padding off into the nearby forest. No one stopped her, of course, their imaginations now running wild with the idea that the woman was as fast and deadly as a tiger and would just slaughter some poor deer before eating it raw.

"Why is she even allowed here? Clearly she's dangerous. And volatile, if that earlier outburst is anything to go by." Someone else murmured. There was no response, however, as the rest of the mercenaries were either ignoring the situation, lost in thoughts about Adeline hunting, or were too scared to start whispering and piss her off if she came back.

Silence settled in with the group and they just ate without speaking. No one touched Adeline's bowl until they were all finished, and even then it was only to empty the contents into a nearby bush and return the dishes and cutlery to the cooks tent to be washed out. They also didn't see her for the remainder of the evening, though as long as she was back by dawn and ready to pack up and get moving she wasn't in any trouble. Some hoped she would be, wanting the immense woman on their side as opposed to against them, but others hoped she wouldn't be.

In the end Adeline returned some time in the night and settled in for a few hours of sleep, waking before the rest of those she'd been assigned to work with and ready to go before breakfast. Even if she was scary sometimes they had to admit she was a skilled mercenary, and it was just a matter of time before that skill outweighed her personality and she began to climb the ranks within the company.


	2. Orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the Weekly Pet Prompt on Subeta, prompt Orange

Two armies stared at one another across the field, each waiting for the other to make the first move. One, however, was simply letting their opponents decide if they wished to fight or flee; they had nearly five times the numbers, and it would be an easy fight.

At the head of the smaller army a tigertaur woman stood tall and proud, scanning the lines of the enemy and waiting with a deadpan expression. She would not show fear, even as whispers rippled through the gathered mercenaries, and she did not show the weakness of looking back to see what the noise was about. A scout wiggled between two others after a moment, looking up at his leader with a serious expression.

"What are we looking at?" She asked, making sure to speak the language of the halfling scout so that only those few trusted around her would understand the conversation and the others would not panic at the news.

"Much bigger than we expected, as I am sure you can see Adeline. The others are reporting the same across the field, we will be slaughtered if we try to take them on without some strategy." The halfling looked up at Adeline and the currently two others who could speak the language.

"Thank you. Gather the other scouts and spread the word. Anyone who wants to go back to the main company is free to do so, but I will be sending word to our commander that any who return are cowards and will be branded deserters. Everyone here can make the choice for themselves, but in an hour anyone still here will be charging that front line." Her words were carefully chosen and resolute, and Adeline kept her eyes forward as the scout bowed before dismissing himself.

"Is that wise, Adeline?" A half-elf at her side asked in the same language, turning his head to look at her.

"If you do not trust my judgement you are free to leave. Death before dishonor." Adeline did not waver on those words, and she did not turn from her position at the front as word began to spread through the gathered mercenaries.

For the next hour Adeline was still as a statue, imposing and standing taller than most in the little army. She was also easy to spot, a humanoid torso on a tiger's body, stripes of orange and black making her stand out instead of blend in with the current environment. When the time came less than half remained on her side, but Adeline would not back down. Those that still stood with her were willing to fight and die, and she could ask for no more than that.

The fight, however, was one sided and the mercenaries were easily overwhelmed. Ten to one and not even their skills could save them, Adeline knowing her fellows were dying all around her but willing to fight to the last. On a field soaked with blood back lit by a sky of fire while the sun set the bodies were left to rot, not even the mercy of throatcutters for those dying slowly. An example left by the enemy that they were a force to be reckoned with and could wipe out even experienced mercenaries.

That day, however, Adeline would not die. She lay among friends, orange and black stained with red, and fought to live. Such will always attracted powerful entities, especially those looking to make the willful into their servants. Staring up at the darkening sky Adeline reached a hand to the heavens, feeling something wrap itself around her in that moment.

"Serve me, and I will let you live." The voice echoed in her mind, something sinister that spoke of the power whatever it was contained.

"Yes." Adeline croaked out, feeling her life force ebbing away with each breath. Then, suddenly, she was revitalized. Her lungs filled with a sudden gasp and the wounds flared with pain before fading away.

"Rest now, you are safe. I will seek you when I need you." Once again the voice entered her mind, almost seeming to carry a spell with it as Adeline's world faded to black. She didn't have time to care about what she had just done, she was just relieved to be alive.


End file.
